Piercing device



Oct. l, 1968 M. GOLDMAN PIERCING DEVICE l Filed Oct. l1, 1965 y INVENTOR.

www WM United States Patent O 3,403,646 PIERCING DEVICE Maurice Goldman, Sharon, Mass., assigner. to Morse Shoe, Inc., Canton, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 494,834 Claims. (Cl. 112-104) The present invention relates to a hand-operated, piercing tool.

This invention comprises an improved, hand-operated,

piercing tool having particular utility in the shoe indus- I try. A great many pairs of shoes which are sold primarily through discount stores, are offered for sale by simply tying themtogether and piling them on a counter for easy access by the customer. A large number of these pairs of shoes must be pierced to provide holes through which a string can be looped to tie the pair of Shoes together. Conventionally, the shoe counters or quarters are pierced and a string having an attached tag is looped through these holes.

Heretofore, a variety of implements have been used to pierce, tie together and tag such shoes; but these implements have not been altogether satisfactory. The present invention overcomes many of the inherent defects existent in piercing elements which have been used.

It is thus an object of this invention to provide a piercing device which is inexpensive to manufacture and which permits efficient, rapid, piercing, tying together and tagging of shoes.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a piercing device which may be used for piercing, tying together and/or tagging a wide variety of products and items.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is partially a cross-sectioned, longitudinal view of a piercing and tagging implement embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, partially crosssectioned view in a different operating position looking from the side opposite that of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an end view looking from the left of FIG. 1.

A cylindrical member 1 is for-med of any suitable material, preferably metal. One end 2 of this cylindrical member 1 is formed with an end plug having a bore extending coaxially through the plug to form an opening 3 coaxial with the cylinder 1.

The bore 3 contains a sleeve 4 which acts as a channel for shaft 5.

The other end 51 of the cylindrical member 1 is preferably internally threaded and threadingly engages end cap 6. End cap 6 is provided with suitable fittings 7 with an aperture extending therethrough for connecting the interior of the cylindrical member with a source of air pressure or other suitable fluid-actuating medium.

Contained within the cylindrical member 1 is a piston 10 having head 11 and rearwardly extending cylindrical sidewalls 12. Annular ring or gasketing material 13 may be suitably secured to the periphery of the piston 10, preferably at its head 11 so as to effectively seal the rear portion 14 of the cylindrical member from the forward portion 15.

Projecting forwardly from the head 11 of the piston 10 and preferably integrally formed with it is a boss 16 which has a diameter preferably greater than the diameter of the opening 3. The forward end 17 of the boss 16 is adapted to engage the rear surface 18 of the end 2 of the cylindrical member. Secured to the boss 16 and projecting forwardly from it and through the sleeve 4 is the shaft 5. The shaft 5 is adapted to be reciprocated through the sleeve 4 in response to reciprocal motionof the piston ice screw 21 (see FIG. 3) which may be threaded Ythrough the forward end of the cylindrical member 1.

A helical spring 24 is positioned within the forward end of the cylindrical member 1 with its rear end engaging the forward surface of the piston 10, and its forward end engaging the rear surface of the forward end of the cylindrical member 1. The spring normally tensions or urges the piston 10 rearwardly toward end cap 6. The power of spring 24, however, may be overcome by air pressure ad-mitted through fitting 7 to the rear portion of the cylindrical member 1 so as to drive the piston 10 forwardly against and over the rearward pressure of spring 24.

A barbed needle 25 is secured to the forward end of the shaft 5 by suitable means and projects forwardly of the shaft beyond the forward end of the cylindrical member 1. This barbed piercing implement 25 is preferably removably secured to the end of the shaft 5 by suitable means. Such means may comprise a hole at the forward end of the shaft into which the rear end of the piercing implement 25 lits with the rear end of the piercing implement secured within this hole by a suitable setscrew (not shown) through the side of the shaft 5.

Clamping means 3.0 are provided at the forward end of the cylindrical member 1 and are suitably secured to it. These clamping means may comprise a pivotable angular member 31 anda fixed angular member 32. Legs or tongues 34 and 35 respectively of members 31 and 32 are bifurcated respectively as illustrated at 34A, 34B, 35A and 35B in FIG. 3. Legs 34 and 35 may also be scored or grooved on their facing surfaces to improve their gripping potential. Leg 34 may also be bowed outwardly slightly as viewed in FIG. 1. Angular member 32 has its other leg 36 rigidly secured to a shoulder section 37y of the cylindrical member 1 with the bifurcated portions 35A and 35B of the tongue disposed on either side of the axis of the cylindrical Imember 1 and shaft 5 so that the barbed piercing implement 25 may pass between and beyond this leg 35.

Also secured to the cylindrical member 1 is a bracket 40 preferably comprising a U-shaped member having side Walls 41 and 42 with a bight portion 43. This bracket 40 is removably secured to the cylindrical member by a screw 52 which extends through the bight portion 43 of the bracket 40, through a corresponding hole in the leg 36 of angular member 32, and into a threaded hole of .the cylindrical member 1. The screw 52 and bracket 40 are removable so that the unit may be used as a simple piercing device.

The bracket 40 carries the Iangular member 31 and an articulating handle 47. The angular member 31 and articulating handle 47 are pivotally secured between the side walls 41 and 42 by pins 48 and 49 respectively. The end 50 of handle 47 and the end 55 of member 31 are bifurcated With portions disposed on either side of the head of screw 52. The end -50 of handle 47 extends below the beveled edge of end 55 of angular member 31 `and is adapted to bear on the surface 521. Pivoting movement of the handle 47 about the pin 49 engages surface 521 of angular member 31 to cause pivoting movement of this member 31 about the pin 48. The angular member 31 is normally maintained in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 by a helical spring 54 having one end engaged in a recess in the other leg of angular member 31, and the other end engaged in a recess in the upper surface of leg 36 of angular member 32.

In the use of this piercing device, the unit is suitably secured to an air-pressure source having a suitable valve 3 actuator which preferably should comprise a foot control. The" air pressure which may be admitted through the adaptor or nipple 7, should be sufficient to drive the piston A10 forwardly against the pressure of spring 24 until the forward end 17 of lboss 16 strikes the rear wall 18 of forward end 2. The pressure should also :be suicient to cause the piercing implement 25 to be projected through the counters or quarters of a pair of shoes. The operator normally takes a pair of shoes and places them heel to heel vcause pivoting movement of the angular member 31 about pin 48. This causes the legs 34 and 35 to engage the opposite sides of the adjacent shoe counters and thereby rigidly clamp the shoe counters. Air is admitted to the rear end of the cylindrical member 1 causing the piercing implement 25 to be driven forwardly through the plies of material forming the shoe counters. A string preferably attached to a tag is looped over the barbed end of the piercing implement 25. The air pressure is then released. Spring 24 causes rearward movement of the piston 10, and consequently, withdrawal of the piercing implement 25 from the shoe counters pulling the string which the operator had engaged on the barb through the holes in the counter. The string is then simply disengaged from the barb 25 by a twist of the device so that the string drops downwardly between the bifurcated ends of the legs 34 and 35. The operator may then manually loop the tag through the portion of the string which has been pulled through the hole formed by the piercing implement.

What is claimed is: 1. A piercing and tagging device comprising, a cylinder having apertures at each end, a? piston positioned within said cylinder for reciprocation longitudinally thereof, means for reciprocating said piston within said cylinder, a piercing implement, means securing said piercing implement to said piston for movement longitudinal of said cylinder, clamp means secured relative to said cylinder including a pair of tongues, and means for actuating said clamp means into ya clamping position with said tongues longitudinally aligned with said piercing implement comprising means pivotally supporting one of said tongues for movement from a position angular with respect to the other tongue into said longitudinally aligned position, and an actuating means extending longitudinally of said cylinder for actuating said one tongue. 2. A piercing and tagging device as set forth in claim 1 wherein,

said means for reciprocating said piston includes a helical spring positioned within said cylinder with one end of said spring bearing on said piston and the other end of said spring bearing on one end of said cylinder whereby said piston is normally urged toward the other end of said cylinder, and means for moving said piston over the tension of said spring toward said one end of said cylinder. 3. A piercing and tagging device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said piercing element comprises a needle having a barbed end, and said means securing said piercing implement comprises a shaft integral with said piston at one end and connected to said needle at the other end. 4. A piercing tool as set forth in claim 3 wherein said spring is positioned coaxial with said shaft.

5. A piercing tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said tongues comprises an angular member having a 'bifurcated end positioned normal to the axis and beyond yone end of said cylinder and with said angular member secured in fixed relation to said cylinder, and the other of said tongues comprises an angular member having a bifurcated end with means supporting said second angular member on said cylinder for pivoting movement with said bifurcated end of said second angular member adapted to be moved toward and away from a position substantially parallel and spaced close t-o said bifurcated end -of said first mentioned angular member.

6. A piercing tool as set forth in claim 5 wherein actuating means are provided for moving said second angular member.

7. A piercing tool as set forth in claim 6 wherein said actuating means comprises a handle extending longitudinally of said cylinder, means pivotally securing said yhandle adjacent one end thereof to said cylinder with said Aone end forming a lever, said second angular member having an end operatively engaged by said lever whereby movement of said lever causes pivoting movement of said second angular member.

8. A piercing tool as set forth in claim 7 including means positioning said bifurcated ends and said piercing implement whereby said piercing implement may be impelled through said bifurcated ends.

9. A piercing and tagging device as set forth in claim 1 including,

said reciprocating means comprising a helical spring positioned within said cylinder with one end bearing on said piston and the other secured toward the other end of said cylinder, pneumatic attachment means at the other end of said cylinder adapted to admit air under pressure into said cylinder for movement of said piston over the tension of said spring Itoward said one end of said cylinder,

said piercing element comprising a needle having a barbed end adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally of and `beyond said one end of said cylinder,

said means securing said Ipiercing implement comprising a shaft coaxially with and extending through said `spring with one end of said shaft secured to said piston and the other end secured to said needle,

one of said tongues comprising an angular member having a bifurcated end positioned normal to the axis of and beyond said one end of said cylinder and with 4said angular member secured in fixed relation to said cylinder,

the other of said tongues comprising an angular member having a bifurcated end with means supporting said second angular member on said cylinder for pivoting movement with said bifurcated end of said second angular member adapted to be moved toward `and away lfrom a position substantially parallel and spaced close to said bifurcated end of said first mentioned angular member,

a handle extending longitudinally of said cylinder,

means pivotally secured said handle adjacent one end thereof to said cylinder with said one end forming a lever, and said second angular member having an end operatively engaged by said lever whereby movemen-t of said lever causes pivoting movement of said second angular member.

10. A piercing tool as set forth in claim 7 including spring means normally tensioning said bifurcated end of said second angular member from said parallel position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1965 'Coren et al. 12S- 330 3/1966 Bone 112-169 

1. A PIERCING AND TAGGING DEVICE COMPRISING, A CYLINDER HAVING APERTURES AT EACH END, A PISTON POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CYLINDER FOR RECIPROCATION LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID PISTON WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, A PIERCING IMPLEMENT, MEANS SECURING SAID PIERCING IMPLEMENT TO SAID PISTON FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINAL OF SAID CYLINDER, CLAMP MEANS SECURED RELATIVE TO SAID CYLINDER INCLUDING A PAIR OF TONGUES, AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID CLAMP MEANS INTO A CLAMPING POSITION WITH SAID TONGUES LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID PIERCING IMPLEMENT COMPRISING MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORT ONE OF SAID TONGUES FOR MOVEMENT FROM A POSITION ANGULAR WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER TONGUE INTO SAID LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED POSITION, AND AN ACTUATING MEANS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID CYLINDER FOR ACTUATING SAID ONE TONGUE. 